


Sand And Sea

by DenialAndError



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Beaches, Bucky Barnes Feels, Domestic Avengers, F/M, Fluff, Fluffyfest, Marvel Universe, Sam is a Little Shit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-04
Updated: 2017-01-04
Packaged: 2018-09-14 21:05:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9203126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DenialAndError/pseuds/DenialAndError
Summary: It's too hot of a day to do anything that exerts energy. But then you have the idea to go to the beach. Only, the problem is that Bucky likes to be difficult.





	

On days like this, everyone seemed to keep their movements to a minimum. The sun blazing through the various windows of the tower just served as a constant reminder of just how hot it was today as you sat beside Natasha in the common room as Clint flicked through channels for something to watch.

Steve sat beside the archer on the other couch while Bucky and Sam sat on the bar stools near the kitchen, multiple conversations being had between you all whilst looking back forth from the television screen and whoever you were addressing at any given time. The topic of musical taste came up and Clint stopped changing channels to pull all his focus on Steve with whom he was currently in a rather heated debate with over which musical era was better, the 40s or the 90s.

“I think I’m melting” you groan to Natasha who merely nods “Be a dear and grab a soda for me” she retorts to which you can only scoff “Sweetheart, I’m not planning on going anywhere until the sun has set”. Images of crystal blue water and white sand flickered across the screen as a soothing female voice talked about ideal holiday locations and you had an idea. “We should go!” you chirped up, far more energetic now than you were mere seconds ago, catching the attention of the members in the room.

There is a pause before Sam speaks up “… the Mediterranean?” “No, you ass. The beach!” and as soon as the words leave your lips, Natasha’s face lights up beside you as she hums her approval. But she is cut off by a groan from across the room. Looking over, you see the Winter Soldier shaking his head “Let’s not” he says, looking as if the mere idea was physically painful to even think about.

All eyes are darting between him and yourself as you question “Why not? It’s too hot to be in the tower but its perfect weather for the beach! We can lay in the sun, tan, swim - Ooh we can wear bikinis!” You over-zealously address the last part to Natasha beside you before looking up and if you weren’t mistaken, Bucky’s jaw ticked at the mention of bikinis. “Ugh yes, anything to get out of these clothes” the redhead beside you groans, her head falling back against the couch in exasperation.

“Yeah, Bucky looks great in a bikini” Sam remarks earning a laugh from everyone except the blue eyed man himself who resorted to glaring “Shut up, birdman”. Steve finally speaks up with a smile “Hey, it could be fun” he muses, his grin widening when he sees the excitement building in you but his face drops when he sees the menacing look on his childhood friend’s face.

Sitting forward was far too much exertion for your liking but the beach was at stake, damn it! “Come on, why not? You’ll have fun” you try to convince him. “I can promise you I will not” he deadpans “Who doesn’t have fun at the beach?” Clint suggests and you can’t help but smile at the fact that everyone else seemed on board. It was just big, brooding Bucky who was being difficult, living up to the reputation.

 _Maybe you shouldn’t call him difficult if you’re trying to persuade him_ you tell yourself before you make the remark. His voice breaks your chain of thought “I don’t” he states as if that was explanation enough. Knowing full well that he could get under his skin, Sam decides to start pestering him, asking repeatedly why he wasn’t coming and you could see James’ jaw clenching and hear the soft whir of his metal arm, letting you know he was balling his hands in to fists.

He breaks. “The god damn sand gets in my arm and it’s fucking annoying, okay?! It doesn’t come out for weeks!” his voice is louder than he intended.

There is a momentary pause before the five of you break in to laughter at his expense. But his frown doesn’t falter. “It’s not funny! I get sand in my food for days” “You can see it fly out when he’s training” Steve decides to add, only fuelling your laughter.

The Winter Soldier’s frown softens slightly and he fights hard to stop a smile from forming and it takes a moment for you to gather yourself before you use your last tactic. Putting on the best puppy-dog eyes you can conjure, you plead “Aw please, Bucky? It’ll be fun if we all go” and he doesn’t miss a beat “Okay you have been spending way too much time with Steve” referring to the look on your face. Natasha stands with conviction. “Well, we’re going. You can join us when you stop brooding” he winks at you and everyone trickles out towards their rooms to get ready.

Tony and Wanda had also come along but Bruce and Vision had decided to stay behind. Bucky, to your surprise, did in fact join you but upon laying down your respective towels, you realised he had no intention of removing his long sleeved shirt and you bit back a grin. With a content sigh, you sit down on your beach towel enjoying the cool breeze that runs over your skin, blowing your hair over your shoulders slightly as you marvel at the way the sky meets the sea in all it’s glistening glory.

Laying back, you prop yourself up on your elbows and bask in the sunlight, closing your eyes to embrace the heat that was causing such turmoil earlier in the day. It was strange how a change of setting could make someone turn from hating every aspect of the warmth to inviting it in with open arms, you think, but before long you feel someone nudge your hip. Putting all your weight on to one arm, you use the other to shield your eyes from the sun as you look up to none other than a Wanda Maximoff who asks you to come in to the water with her and with a smile, you get up and make your way over to the shore, joining Natasha and Steve who were already waist deep in the water.

* * *

Slowly everyone had left him to join the others in the water. Steve was the last to go. As childish as it was, however, he had been adamant not to come so if he joined in now, he knew he’d never hear the end of it from Sam. So he stayed by the team’s stuff and holy shit was it hot but getting sand in his arm definitely wasn’t worth it, he thought and so the light grey t shirt remained.

 _At least the view isn’t too bad_ he thought to himself with a smirk. She couldn’t seem to keep the smile off of her face as she frolicked in the water with the others. None of them could, apparently. The job was stressful and tiring to say the least. They were constantly training and plotting and keeping their guards up because the simple act of being ‘The Avengers’ made them a target for anyone powerful enough to put up a fight. As Vision had said in the past, the number of attacks raised exponentially as soon as the Avengers were formed as if it was an invitation for a fight, it seemed.

Moments like this were rare. He could physically see their barriers coming down as they let go just for one day. Tony managed to use his influence to get the team an empty beach all to themselves, away from prying eyes and invasive questions and although Bucky would never say it to his face, he was glad Tony could do that.

Moments pass before he realises that she’s walking out of the water and towards him and the sight is breath taking. The way the water glistens on her bare skin, her wet hair blowing in the sea breeze, the smile still etched on her face. Her smile always lit up her entire face, Bucky thought. When she smiled, you could see it in her eyes as much as on her lips and he often wondered how she managed to maintain a smile and her carefree persona given the life they lead.

He has to stop his eyes from roaming her body as she approaches but her smile has the same mesmerising effect it had had since the day they met and he found that that was all he needed to see. He cursed himself internally for being so smitten but she had no clue. Steve was the only one who’d figured it out so far, or at least that he knew of. No one else had mentioned it to him and he wanted to keep it that way.

Looking at the expression she now wore, he realised she’d been speaking but he was too busy thinking to hear her. “Um, sorry, did you say something?” _Smooth, Bucky_  he taunts himself but she smiles “Yeah, I asked if you wanted to join us instead of sitting here pouting” she teased, trying to keep the mischievous grin off her face and clearly struggling. “I was not pouting” he defends himself but feels the corners of his lips curl in to the faintest of smiles.

“Come on, Buck, the water’s lovely” she insists, bending over to grab his hand in an attempt to pull him up. He doesn’t budge. He grins at her effort and the over-the-top strained expression she wore “Jesus, you need to lose a couple pounds, Soldier” she huffs before tugging on his arm one last time only to lose her footing, the sand slipping from beneath her heels, causing her to fall flat on her ass. He tries to hold back his laugh but one look at her wide eyed expression and he’s a goner, doubling over in laughter only to have her join in.

Her laugh was always one of his favourite sounds, he often heard it echo down the halls of the tower and it never failed to bring a smile to his face and lighten his mood. It was melodic and care free and he saw how it always caused those around her to smile the same way he did. Wiping a tear from his eye, he looks up at her before giving in “Fine, only because you might actually hurt yourself trying if I don’t” and as soon as the words leave his lips, she’s up on her feet grinning from ear to ear, every feature of her being showing her excitement.

* * *

Pulling off his shirt, Bucky decides to add “Look, if you wanted to get me shirtless, all you had to do was ask, sweetheart. You didn’t have to plan this entire day” he winks at her and she scoffs in disbelief before mindlessly kicking some sand in his direction as he stands.

He stands up straight in flash, his face slowly lowering as he wearily looks down to his arm, clenches his fist and she hears the grinding sound as the plates in Bucky’s metal arm shift and rub against the grains of sand that had now lodged themselves in.

A moment of silence passes before he roars “FUCK!” and she bursts in to a fit of laughter, clenching her stomach to ease the tension from laughing so hard. “Seriously?! Already?!” Bucky exclaims but he fails to keep the smile off his face when he sees her struggling to catch a breath as she laughs at his expense and a cool sea breeze washes over them.

**Author's Note:**

> I originally posted this to tumblr but it's fluffy and I thought why not share it here since this was where I started writing. Hope you like it!


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